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Revival in studying agriculture looks sustained

Jennifer Impey will study agriculture at Charles Sturt University in 2014.

Supplied by Jennifer Impey

First round university offers indicate there's sustained interest from students wanting to study agriculture.

After decades of decline, there was a 15 to 20 per cent increase in university enrolments in agriculture courses at Australian universities in 2013.

Secretary of the Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture, Jim Pratley, says while definite enrolment figures won't be known for several weeks, initial course offers show last year's level of interest has been sustained.

"We've been waiting for these results to see whether last year was a blip, or whether we've got a trend. I think we're starting to get confidence that it might be a trend," Professor Pratley said.

"There's been a lot of work done to promote the fact that there are plenty of jobs for university graduates of agriculture.

"That message is getting through pretty well these days to the students coming from schools."

Declining numbers of agriculture graduates has long been identified as a problem, and has been the subject of several senate and parliamentary inquiries.

"It's been a chronic problem, but over the last decade in particular, we've had a 40 per cent decline in ag graduates, caused by the drought, by the image and perception that there are no jobs when the reality is the opposite," Professor Pratley said.

"We've had to work at changing those perceptions and image of agriculture. I think we are now getting traction."

Professor Pratley says there are now signs of a trend in students returning to agricultural science courses.

"We've been waiting for these results to see whether last year was a blip, or whether we've got a trend. I think we're starting to get confidence that it might be a trend."

Jennifer Impey from Crookwell, on the southern tablelands of New South Wales, will be one of the new university agriculture students in 2014.

"Growing up on a family farm, I've always had that interest in agriculture. I suppose I was just looking for ways to further my knowledge and see where the industry could take me."

She already runs a beef cattle stud with her sister and she's hoping to learn more about livestock nutrition and agronomy when she starts her course at Charles Sturt University in Wagga.

"I think I'm interested because I know what agriculture is and I know how important it is in society. Society wouldn't be anywhere without agriculture."

Jennifer is confident there will be lots of interesting opportunities for her to pursue a career in the agriculture.

"I think the amount of new technology that's being developed for the ag industry is just incredible.

"The amount of research that is being done to do new things or develop new crops or genetics or that sort of thing is just amazing."

Harrison Cleave, who lives on his family's farm near Cohuna, in northern Victoria, is heading to Melbourne University, where he will specialise in animal production.

"I've seen a bit of the course outline and I'm just hoping to achieve a wealth of knowledge bring back to the local area, so I can continue expanding efficiency and productivity."